Albert Carrasco had a lot to look forward to after packing up all of his worldly belongings and sending them to Hawaii – the tropical paradise that he would soon call home and the place he would welcome the newest extension to his growing family.

Low-income residents of San Joaquin County will be able to obtain free government surplus food on Thursday, January 21, at locations throughout San Joaquin County. Distribution will continue until supplies are exhausted.

The St. Vincent de Paul Society has helped untold number of needy families and individuals in Manteca and surroundings for decades. Young men studying for the priesthood have been able to continue pursuing their religious vocation, thanks in part to the assistance provided by the Bishop's Seminarian Fund of the Diocese of Stockton. And a number of area youth have been able to play in Little League with the help of generous donations from organizations whose mission is to step up when there's a need.

A pending deal that temporarily relaxes salinity and dissolved oxygen standards in the San Joaquin River at Vernalis south of Manteca could prevent the Stanislaus River from going dry this year plus give South San Joaquin Irrigation District some breathing room.

Six home gardens will be featured in this year's annual Manteca Garden Tour. These private Edens range from modern and with state-of-the-art features located in Woodbridge at Del Webb on North Union and the gated community of Primavera in northwest Manteca, to a vintage home with a rustic ambience on East Louise Avenue.

To save lives and educate all Californians, especially young drivers, about the dangers of distracted driving, the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), California Highway Patrol (CHP), Impact Teen Drivers, and more than 200 law enforcement agencies statewide are working together on increased education and enforcement efforts for National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April and California Teen Safe Driving Week, the first week of April.

Bob Piccinini - the Manteca High graduate who parlayed his family's first grocery store they opened in Manteca into a chain of 243 stores throughout Northern California and Northern Nevada - passed away Tuesday. He was 73.